Archives: People

Kristina is a Senior Research Associate in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP). Prior to joining OIEP, she served as a Legislative Research Analyst for the Tennessee General Assembly, where her research informed a wide range of policy decisions and received awards from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Kristina is currently a doctoral student in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University and recently earned a Graduate Certificate in Data Science from Austin Peay State University. She holds an M.A. from Alice Solomon University in Berlin, Germany and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Diana Bharucha serves as a Senior Assessment Planner within the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP) to support Co-Curricular and Mason Core Assessment at GMU.

Prior to OIEP, Diana spent 12 years in institutional research and college planning and evaluation at Northern Virginia Community College. She served overseas for 9 years with the US State Department in Stockholm, Sweden; Nairobi, Kenya; and Beijing, China. She holds a Ph.D. in Cellular Oncology from George Washington University and a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Tulane University. She is excited to support student success at GMU!

Diana enjoys cooking, baking, and spending time with her children and cats. Her favorite band is Coldplay.

Amy serves as an Assessment Planner within OIEP, supporting institutional assessment efforts across George Mason University.

Prior to OIEP, Amy spent 6 years in federal technology consulting leading complex software development projects for large government clients. She holds an M.S. in Educational Psychology – Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing from George Mason, and dual B.S. degrees in Mathematics and Statistics from James Madison University. Throughout her career, her research interests have focused on higher education evaluation and assessment, and she is thrilled to be applying these skills within George Mason.

Dr. Bonnie Sylwester provides support in the areas of assessment, data analysis, and accreditation for international programs at Mason.  She holds a PhD in Second Language Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she focused on language program evaluation and assessment. She also has an AGC in International Education from the University of Massachusetts, and an MA in Instructional Systems Development from UMBC. With over 25 years in the field of international education, Bonnie’s experience includes teaching, teacher education, curriculum development, assessment, and program planning and evaluation. She has lived and worked in the US, Namibia, Korea, Bolivia, and Spain.

Bonnie is an avid sailor and enjoys getting out on the Potomac or the Bay whenever possible.

Dr. Amira Stine conducts data-driven research that supports the goals of OIEP, as well as Mason’s mission and strategic plan. Prior to joining OIEP, Amira held various roles in higher education including research, program management, learning technologies, international and sponsored programs, as well as working with undergraduate students, with a focus on retention.

Amira earned her Ph.D. in Computational Social Science from George Mason University. She holds an M.Ed. from the University of Virginia, and a B.A. in English with a Philosophy concentration from Columbia University.

Dr. Sheena Serslev engages in institutional assessment with an educational development approach. Her research interests blend program assessment with creativity and learning.
 
Prior to joining George Mason University, she was the Associate Director of Engaged Teaching at the UC San Diego Teaching + Learning Commons where she collaborated with departments and faculty to design evidence-based, student-centered, and equitable learning experiences. She has worked as an educator, researcher, and arts administrator.
 
Sheena studied Visual Arts and Communications at UC San Diego and earned her Master’s in Arts Management from the Heinz College of Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. She completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from UC San Diego.
 

In her spare time, Sheena can usually be found swimming or painting.

Dr. Eunkyoung Park leads the strategy and execution of the assessment and planning function for the division of University Life such as strategic planning, accreditation, annual assessment, program review, and data collection and analysis. Prior to joining Mason in 2015, Dr. Park worked at the Korean Educational Development Institute (Seoul, South Korea) and the Institute for Higher Education Policy (Washington DC). She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana and her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
 

Even though Eunkyoung majored in French, she refuses to speak it.

Mehrnaz provides support for faculty/staff data compilation, reporting, and ad-hoc requests. She also provides support for the Student Evaluations of Teaching tool, Blue, and was part of the team which worked to successfully implement Blue for the University.
 
Mehrnaz received an M.S. in Mathematics and Statistics from Georgetown University, and an M.S. in Accounting from George Mason University. She earned her B.S. in Statistics from James Madison University.
 

Mehrnaz loves anything and everything having to do with Mariah Carey, and has a picture with her when she met her a number of years ago.

Dr. Brandon Nzekwe conducts research and provides complex analysis in support of academic planning, reporting and decision-making at George Mason University. Prior to joining Mason, he worked at Northern Virginia Community College and the University of South Florida. Brandon earned his Ph.D. from Florida State University in Educational Psychology with a primary concentration in Learning and Cognition and a secondary concentration in Measurement and Statistics. His research interests include identity development, experiential learning and mentorship, and student success outcomes.

Brandon participates in outreach efforts in Fairfax County that award scholarships and provide mentorship to students in the local community.

Lisa currently serves as Director of Data Analytics to provide streamlined research to support planning and decision-making efforts across Mason. This includes ensuring data are valid and reliable, creating data tools, and supporting accreditation and mandated reporting. Prior to joining Mason, Lisa was Director of Institutional Research and Reporting at Clackamas Community College in Oregon. Leading up to her stint in Oregon, she worked in institutional research at a number of community colleges in Southern California.
 
Over the years, Lisa has engaged in professional associations as a contributor and as a learner. Currently she serves as President of the Virginia Association for Institutional Research (VAIR). Lisa earned a BA in Sociology and a MA in Demographic and Social Analysis from the University of California, Irvine.
 

Despite being born and raised near the beaches of Southern California, Lisa still uses floaties to swim.